Surprising Benefits of Kiwis for Your Health

The benefits of kiwis are largely not known in general, unless you've looked specifically into the subject...but they are fairly well documented and wide-ranging.

The kiwi, better known as kiwifruit, was originally the Chinese Gooseberry, but was changed for marketing reasons in the 1950s. It is commercially grown in New Zealand, Italy, Chile, Greece, and France, among other countries.

Kiwi benefits come from the high levels of vitamin C, potassium, niacin, vitamin E, fiber, as well as things such as beta carotene, lutein, and arginine. Many of the health benefits are recognized as fact, while others are being tested or have only anecdotal evidence so far.

The antioxidant kiwi health benefits are due to the high level of Vitamin C, and can reduce the likelihood of cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. The high level of fiber in the skin of the kiwifruit can also be a deterrent to cardiovascular disease and lower the probability of heart attacks.

In Italy interesting studies were done on children that showed that those who ate kiwi regularly had reduction in respiratory problems such as asthma, wheezing, and coughing. As with other fruits, regular consumption can also lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration, the most common reason for vision problems in adults.

The high levels of potassium make kiwis good for hypertension and high blood pressure. It even contains high levels of serotonin, which has a calming effect and can reduce stress in people. Still more benefits of kiwis are being studied, such as being used as an antacid, treating depression, diabetes, and even impotence.

In China kiwi extract has been used in a sports drink with athletes to maintain glucose levels with positive results, because the high level of electrolytes it has. Calorie for calorie, kiwifruit is one of the most nutrient rich fruits there is.

The health advantages of kiwis are numerous and many are already proven through science. Many of the others are being studied vigorously. It would be one thing if the kiwi didn't taste good, but to most it is one of the more delicious citrus fruits, making it an ideal addition to any culinary regimen.

If you don't eat fruit regularly, taking a concentrated tablet of kiwi extract could be a very useful supplement to your diet. There is plenty of information available on the practical and potential health benefits of kiwis that you can gain by eating them regularly, and since it is available in your grocery store and tastes like a beach vacation, I suggest that you look into making a run for some very soon!